Ore flotation



- Patented Mar. 9, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cules Powder Company, Wilmington, Del, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application March 16, 1985, Serial 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the separation of minerals and the concentration of ores by flotation processes and is particularly directed to" the separation and concentration of ores carried out with 5 the utilization of certain organic sulfur compoundsas flotation agents or collectors.

According to the present invention the separation of minerals and the concentration of ores by means of the flotation operation is carried out with the aid of a sulfur-containing terpene compound, in particular a terpene mercaptan or thioalcohol. It has been found in accordance with this invention that by the use of these sulfur derivatives of terpene compounds as agents or collectors in the flotation processes better recovery and higher grade concentrations can be obtained.

The flotation agents or collectors employed in the process of flotation in accordance with the present invention may be classified as sulfurcontaining terpene compounds or sulfur derivatives of terpene compounds, as, for example, terpene mercaptans or thioalcohols, terpene sulfides or thioethers-and terpene diand polysulfides.

These sulfur derivatives of terpene compounds may be prepared, for example, by the treatment of an unsaturated terpene compound withhydrogen sulfide (as is more fully described in an application Serial No. 713,304, filed February 28, 1934,

0 by Joseph N. Borglin and Emil Ott) or by the treatment of halogen derivatives of terpene compounds with alkali sulfides or hydrosulfldes (as is disclosed more fully in an application Serial No. 25,427, filed June '7, 1935 by Emil 0tt). By

variations in procedure, treatment of various terpene compounds in the manner stated above will produce terpene mercaptans, terpene sulfides or thioethers, or terpene-diand polysulfides. Un-

der usual conditions of procedure all of these 40 various sulfur derivatives will be produced simultaneously in varying amounts, the amount of each being dependent upon the particular conditions of the reaction. Since all these sulfur derivatives of terpene compounds are effective in the process of flotation in accordance with this invention it is not necessary to efiect any separation of the mixture produced. However, ter-" pene mercaptans or thioalcohols are the preferred flotation collectors in accordance with this invention, and it will accordingly be desirable that the mixed reaction product contains as large a portion of mercaptans as possible.

In addition to the processes discussed above for the production of sulfur derivatives of terpene compounds, it will be appreciated by the art that these compounds can be made by other processes." It will therefore be understood that in accordance with the present invention it is contemplated to use sulfur derivatives of sulfides and terpene diand polysulfides, however produced. 5

In particular, the present invention contemplates the employment as flotation agents or collectors of sulfur derivatives of pinene, alpha-terpineol, and of a so-called paramenthane cut (a terpene cut boiling within about the range 163 10 C. to C. and comprising, in addition to small amounts of paramenthane, dipentene, terpinolene and terpinene), since the sulfur derivatives of these terpene compounds, and especially the mercaptans, are exceedingly eiflcient collectors in 15 flotation processes. The sulfur derivatives of other terpene compounds such as, for example, dipentene, terpinene, terpinolene, etc., can also be used to advantage in the flotation process in accordance with this invention, although they are 20 somewhat inferior in action to the pinene, paramenthane cut and alpha-terpineol products. In carrying out the flotation process the flotation collectors may be incorporated with the ore or mineral pulp in any suitable manner and at any as suitable time, for example, they may be introduced in the free state or as salts into the mill in which the ore is being ground, or it may be dissolved, suspended or dispersed in anysuitable solvent or dispersing agent, as, for example, the 3 usual flotation oils, such as pine oil, etc., or in water or alkaline reagent, and the resulting suspension, solution or dispersion may be incorporated with the ore or ore pulp. Desirably, the

flotation collectors in accordance with this in- 35 vention will be used in conjunction with frothing agents, as, for example, pine oil, customarily employed in flotation processes. a The process in accordance with this invention can be carried out in any apparatus customarily 4o,

used for the flotation treatment of ores.

The amount of flotation collector required to be used in the flotation process will vary depending upon the character and composition of the ore, upon the particular flotation collector em- 45 ployed and upon various other variable factors. of the flotation process, usually from 0.02 to 5.0 pounds per ton of dry ore will be employed. These quantities are in no way limiting, however, and greater or smaller amounts can be used if desired. 50 The present invention is further illustrated by a the following specific examples of procedure in accordance therewith. In the following examples comparative results are given for processes involving the use of flotation collectors in ac- 55 collectors being grouped under 75 O're collector cordance with the presentin-vention, such collectors being grouped v under the designation "New; and for processes involving the use of flotation collectors hitherto used in the art, such Exams: I

. Copper ore 265 g. of copper ore were Screened through a m 40 mesh screen. The oversize was ground in a' ball mill during ten minutes with 250cc. of water. The ground ore was screened through a 40 mesh screen, and the flnes'combined.- The excess 5 water was decanted from the ore and the latter washedinto the flotation machine. To the ore pulp was added 5 cc. of a 1% lime slurry (0.4 #/ton ore), cc. of a 0.1% aqueous solution of sodium cyanide (0.08 #/ton ore), Yarmor F pine 20 oil (0.4 '#/ton ore), 8 cc. of a 1% solution (vol.) 1 of the collector'under test (0.24 #lton ore). The

- 250 gms. of zinc ore and 250 cc. of water were charged into thebail mill and ground twelve 1ninutes-. The contents were discharged onto a 60 mesh screen and washed through. I The over-- size was rejected. The excess water was decanted and the ore washed into the flotation machine,

10 cc, of 1% copper. sulfate, were added (0.8

#/ton ore), and 0.7 c of a 1% solution of the 'collector (0.056 #[ton ore) was added. The flotation' time follow: i

0 Pam tz Collector in New Pmtne mcrcaptan 0.1 9:. s) 1a 10 as Pincne mercaptan 17.77 8).; 10.10 8'! Terpineol mercaptan (14.8% s 16. 4 92.1-

Amyl mermptan -Q 18. 71 83 Butyl xanthsta, 1 29. 00 70 Sodium Aerofloat" (a derivativcoi' sodium diethyldithiophosphoric Bdd)- K 14 so I Emu: III. 1

- Zinc ore In actual fleld tests on the flotation of zinc ore using the following agents in the flotation: I Pounds per tonofore Ore copper sulfat 0.5 Ore lime 0.10 Ore pine oil 0.20

the designation.

was fifteen minutes. The results the following results were obtained for the re spective collectors. In each case the ore was conditioned for three minutes with all the flota-- tion agents and flotation was carried out for seven minutes:

Percent Zn 111 Percent (mum-mt concentrate recovery Ivan Pinene mercaptan 46. 00 90 Pincus mercaptan (caustic extract) 40. 20 07 Mercaptans irom the paramcnthanc cut..- 85. 00 90 Old Sodium Aa'ofloat 20.40 90 Duplicate runs under the same conditions gave the following results in which the amount of zinc recovered in the middlings and tailings is separately set out:

' plant, the following results were obtained, using the respective flotation agents set out below. In

all cases the ore was conditioned with thereagent' for five minutes and floated for thirty minutes:

- I Lbs. a... 4 I l Concen- 011 ro- ,M af um um i I P Percent Pincnemuoaptan.-..'-.. 02 13.06011 .1101: I 00.4 0 v :Potaniumctbylmtbata .04 12.12011 .21011 no.1

-It will be apparent from consideration of the examples set forthabove that the flotation process in accordance with this invention, using a sulfur derivative of a terpene compound as the flotation collectors, is superior; both in the grade ofthe concentration and in the amount re-.

covered, to flotation processes heretofore used.

It wilibe understood that the present invention is applicable to the treatment'of various kinds of mineral; mixtures, both natural andartificial, which may be concentrated by flotation processes. f 1

It will be further understood that the details and examples hereinbefore set forth are for the purpose of illustration only and-are not in limitation of the invention as herein broadly described and claimed. What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patentish f 1. A method of eifectili the. concentration of time of flotation was ten minutes. Theresults i Mid follow: z 52 z 1 1 %zn (2&1.

Percent a 00am $3 m Pinon 4o 1 i F Merca pmmtbe 7 paramenthanscut. 39. 0.16 0.08 0796.1.2 New ow r tan 0.1 s .10 no Passages-E... 31 its a mo m 0.15 Mamet Terpineol mercaptan (14.0 8)" 27165 0.3 P '14 The figures for tailings and middlings indicate Ethylmcrcaptan. 2&8: 67.8 that better recovery for tine and coarser zinc, .1: M hfixod' y lxa nti a tesun 21.05 86.1 I n m uc Exunu IV Exum.:II- f-Wore Zinc ore minerals by flotation which includes subjecting a mineral pulp to a flotation operation in the presence of a terpene mercaptan.

2. A method of effecting the concentration of minerals by flotation which includes subjecting a mineral pulp to a flotation operation in the presence of a pinene mercaptan.

3. A method of effecting the, concentration of;

minerals by flotation which includes subjectinz a mineral pulp to a flotation operation in the presence of a terpineol mercaptan.

4. A method of eflecting a concentration of minerals by flotation which includes subjecting 5 a mineral pulp to a flotation operation in the presence of a terpene thioether.

PM A. RAY. 

